Three days ago, I had a first in my life: I attended a book club meeting! Now that may seem crazy for one who loves to read almost every day, and I've been doing so for most of my life. Still, the opportunity hasn't really been just right before now. This week it was.
There are lots of "perks" to being part of a book club. Generally, members vote on which books to read, so you already have an idea that they will be good. On the other hand, you want a club that has similar views to yours, or you may not enjoy those books so much. And you're rather "stuck" with whatever the members have chosen. In my case, it is all good! I'm so pleased!
I am also grateful today for a good county library system that subscribes to various services that allow me to check out a book electronically, read it on my tablet, and then return it with the press of a button. That's a great time and money saver, and I'm already about 50% through the September selection. That's the focus of my post today.
Well, this book does precisely what I think a memoir should do. Rather than recounting every moment of life from day one to the present, Ms. Quindlen weaves life lessons into her pages. I am gaining an idea of who she is, but I'm doing it by learning what she values, believes, and feels. Each chapter recounts a different aspect of her life.
The September book is Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake: A Memoir of a Woman's Life by Anna Quindlen. It has been a #1 New York Times Bestseller, which provides great evidence that it's an interesting book. Ms. Quindlen is a prolific writer, with a number of novels that can be purchased from your favorite seller but, not having read any of her other books, I didn't know what to expect - particularly from a memoir. I wondered if reading about a person's life from their own perspective would hold my interest.Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book so far:
"You're like a cake when you're young. You can't rush it or it will fall, or just turn out wrong. Rising takes patience, and heat. ...We can look back and identify moments...But it's all a continuum that is clear only in hindsight..."
"There comes that moment when we finally know what matters and, perhaps more important, what doesn't, when we see that all the life lessons came not from what we had but from who we loved, and from the failures perhaps more than the successes."
On buying stuff: "Today we rent facilities for the stuff we're not currently using, probably will never use again." Sad, but true.
"The nicest thing you can say to me about my home is that it's homey...And at a certain point, I can't say when, I realized I didn't really give a damn about any of it. If there were a fire, what would I save? ... somehow I feel a pronounced urge now to shrink my surroundings, to stick to just a few comfortable rooms, to have less instead of more. ... Maybe it's because I now feel I know the truth about possessions, that they mean or prove or solve nothing. Stuff is not salvation. ...Stuff needs to be dusted and insured and willed to someone without hurting someone else's feelings. ... Tocqueville was more expansive: 'Americans cleave to the things of the world as if assured they will never die. They clutch everything but hold nothing fast, and so lose grip as they hurry after some new delight.'" Well, this chapter alone deserves another whole book as far as I can see!
And then there are the ones on relationships. Marriage is seen as having a "long view" - if one wishes to stay married for the long haul. And friendships? "One of the most important parts of tending our friendships is working our way, over time, into the kind of friendships that can support cataclysm, friendships that are able to move from the office or the playground to hospital rooms and funerals." Yes, absolutely! I am so blessed to have such a friendship, and I am grateful for it every day!
Well, I've yammered on for too long. Obviously, I am enjoying this book very much. Because I like her writing style so much, I expect I will read one of her novels, too. Ahhh, so many books - so little time!
Stay tuned in the near future for a video on coloring in my Inspire Proverbs book. If you know my past history, you know I love to color with Copic Sketch markers, but that isn't possible with this bound book. There would be serious bleed-through! I am learning a lot now about colored pencils. I'll be offering some tips very soon.
For today, may God smile upon you mightily and give you peace!
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